Honda’s new ‘sporty lifestyle vehicle’ (Honda’s very own terminology!) – the WR-V hit the Indian automobile market a few days back. Although the WR-V borrows heavily from the Honda Jazz, the former is much more flamboyant than its older cousin. You can say that the WR-V is basically the Honda Jazz which was injected with some Super Soldier Serum (remember the transformation of Steve Rogers in Captain America?).
Starting at Rs. 7.91 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai), this Jazz-based crossover attracts tough competition from quite a few other popular cars such as the Volkswagen Cross Polo, Ford Ecosport, Hyundai i20 Active, Mahindra KUV100 and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. If you’re planning to buy the WR-V or any other car, we have great Car Loan offers to help you buy your dream car.
Additional Reading: It’s All About Car Loans!
Exterior
As far as dimensions are concerned, the WR-V is taller (1601 mm), longer (3999 mm) and wider (1734 mm) than the Jazz. The car also comes with a high ground clearance (almost 23 mm higher than the Jazz) that gives it an SUV-like stance.
Though this car looks similar to the Jazz in profile, it is at the front and back that the WR-V sheds Jazz’s design cues. And the styling shifts from the typical hatchback look to a sportier, beefier, SUV-like look.
This Honda car comes with a prominent solid wing chrome grille, body cladding, front and rear bumper skid plate, new design wheels, chunky headlamps, silver roof rail garnish and a segment-first electric sunroof. The three-dimensional tail lamp design and the sharper tailgate add to the rugged look of this crossover.
In short, this muscular roadster is surely a head turner.
Interior
The cabin is pretty spacious with ample head, leg and knee room. You get two colour options – black and blue seat upholstery, and black and silver seat upholstery.
The Honda WR-V doesn’t compromise on convenience and comfort either. There are plenty of storage spaces and cubby holes, a centre armrest with ample storage space, USB input and HDMI input along with the 12V power outlets.
The car also offers 363 litres of boot space which is quite a lot when compared to others in its segment.
One can say that this Honda four-wheeler is quite nifty and lavish on the inside.
Engine & Transmission
The 1.5-litre DOHC i-DTEC diesel engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission gear box and boasts up to 25.5 kmpl mileage. As far as fuel-efficiency is concerned, the Honda WR-V is the segment leader as of now. The diesel variant gets a start-stop button, smart-key entry and cruise-control features, which sadly aren’t a part of the petrol variant.
The petrol variant features a 1.2-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine which is mated to a new five-speed manual transmission gear box. It claims a mileage of up to 17.5 kmpl.
Ride Quality
The Honda WR-V offers a smooth drive, even at high speeds. The tweaked suspension of this car further betters the drive quality, making the overall experience a comfortable and stable one. The gear shifts are shorter, thereby giving you a peppy and sporty feel.
The petrol variant is perfect for laid-back drives across the city. But if you are looking for more active and adventurous long drives, you’d be better off with the diesel variant. The diesel variant is easy to ride, although it can get a little noisy.
On the upside, the Honda WR-V has been designed for Indian roads and is extremely good at tackling potholes and ditches.
Safety
Honda has added high tensile steel in the middle of the WR-V’s body to enhance the capacity of the car to absorb collision force. Dual airbags (for driver and front passenger) are standard across all the variants. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with EBD and ECU Immobiliser Systems are also standard across all the variants. The car comes with intelligent pedals (brake override system) too.
The top variants offer a multi-view rear parking camera with three modes – wide, normal and top-down. No more reverse-parking woes at least!
Other Features Worth A Mention!
The Honda WR-V is packed with plenty of features that will make you go ‘WOW’ such as the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system (called Digipad; introduced in the 2017 Honda City). It comes with MirrorLink for smartphone connectivity, 2 USB slots, HDMI and 1.5 GB of memory. Wow!
Additional Reading: Watch Out For These Cars In 2017
Verdict
With its SUV-like on-road presence, hatchback-like practicality and sedan-like roominess, the Honda WR-V is a crossover that can’t be ignored. It’s got lots of character on the outside, lots of space on the inside, and tons of features for your convenience and safety. And for its price tag, it is totally worth a buy!
Financing for Honda WR-V
If you are short of cash but really want to get yourself the WR-V, we can help with our array of low-interest Car Loans!
*Car Loans for the Honda WR-V on BankBazaar.com offer you the following advantages:
- EMIs as low as ~Rs. 14,000
- Interest rates as low as 9% for a tenure of 5 years (based on ex-showroom price Chennai)
- Special offers for women (select banks)
- Limited-period zero processing fee offers
- Complimentary gift vouchers from Amazon worth Rs. 2,500
- Instant e-approval & paperless processing
*Rates and offers available at the time of this writing. T&C apply.